


The Walk Home

by Beth Harker (Beth_Harker)



Category: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-29
Updated: 2014-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-29 20:05:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17210057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beth_Harker/pseuds/Beth%20Harker
Summary: Jack walks Les home from school while Davey is away.  Set about three years post strike.





	The Walk Home

“Jack!” 

Les ran out of the school gate, and there was a solid thump as he plowed into the man who had been his idol all the way back since the Newsies’ strike in 1899. Jack, for his part, couldn’t resist lifting the boy off his feet for a minute, before ruffling his hair and slinging an arm over his shoulder. 

“Hey, don’t you know I’m near thirteen now?” Les protested, but he was laughing as well. 

“You bet I do. Nearly broke my back tryin’ to pick you up there,” Jack teased. In truth Les wasn’t much bigger than he’d been at ‘near ten’, and could probably still play a seven year old street urchin if he put enough effort into it, but Jack wasn’t about to tell him that. 

“So,” Jack asked, “how does it feel being the man of the house.” 

“Quiet,” said Les, with an exaggerated sigh. 

“More space for you, since you’re getting so big an’ all.”

A shrug. 

“How do you think Davey’s doing on his tests?” Jack continued. 

“I don’t see why they gotta be so far away. You know he’s gonna pass ‘em and stay in Washington forever.” 

“At least he won’t have to move when he goes to work for the president or somethin’” Jack said, as lightly as he could. Davey had been away for two and a half weeks now, having been selected as one of three hundred boys who could compete for a Presidential Scholarship, and a free ride to spend the next four years at college, studying politics near the capital. Even though he’d explained to Jack at least a dozen times that winning the scholarship would just mean getting a chance to continue his studies, and had nothing to do with working for the president, Jack was pretty sure he would. Maybe he’d even become the president himself. Davey was real smart, and he understood what people needed. Jack and the other boys would vote for him, and any kid who sold papes would campaign for him until they were blue in the face. The only real problem, as far as Jack could tell, would be not seeing him. 

Les was looking despondent, so Jack gave his shoulder a squeeze. “Hey,” he said, “Wasn’t you talking about sneaking off on a ship and sailing to Greece the other day?”

“I want to go to Greece. And Rome. Also India, and maybe the moon if we ever learn how to make Spaceships before I’m too old to do it,” Les said. “I just wish Davey wasn’t going first. I hate waiting around at home when he’s off doing things, just because I’m too young, and probably nobody is gonna want to pay for me to live in Washington. School’s only been in session one day, and already I’m sure it’ll never take me to Washington.” 

Jack didn’t say anything about that, because probably Les was right. He and Davey were different in a lot of ways, and it had taken Jack a surprisingly long time to figure out that grades at school were one of them. Davey never talked about being exceptional, and Les had always just talked about girls and friends until one day when he’d come to Jack crying because he’d gotten a D in his algerbra class again and Davey was mad at him for it. If Les wanted out of New York, he’d need to find some way to do it other than academics. Maybe Jack would help him out if he ever struck rich. He wasn’t trying as hard to get to Santa Fe as he used to, but he still held on to the dream that one day he’d be able to afford a trip to see the place, and the idea of being able to take Katherine and some of the fellas like Les along for the trip made the dream even better. 

“Did he send you a postcard?” Les asked. 

“Yep!” Jack reached into his pocket, and took it out. It had a picture of the Whitehouse on it, and the back was so jammed with writing that there had hardly been room for a stamp. 

“I’ve got two at home,” Les said. 

“Crutchie’s got seven of ‘em, all lined up on the wall by his bunk,” Jack said. They’d come all at once, just as covered with writing as Jack’s, and neatly numbered in the left hand corner of each one. The first few had been scenes of the capital, but apparently Davey had gotten bored of that, and decided that kittens dressed in strange outfits were more the kind of message he wanted to send. 

Les rolled his eyes, “Davey’s so weird about Crutchie.” 

“Like you ain’t weird about nobody.” 

“I’m weird about lots of people. Especially Martha Heath. Have you ever seen her?” 

“Can’t say I have.” 

“She’s really pretty, but her mama says she has to wait at least another ten years before she can ‘consider any sort of engagement’.” 

“Wise woman.” 

“Says the guy who up and got married.” 

That made Jack grin from ear to ear, the way the topic of his recent marriage always did.

“I bet Davey will save up some money and send for Crutchie in Washington,” Les continued, and Jack’s smile faltered a little. Crutchie was taking Davey’s absence better than expected, but already he, who’d never before wanted to leave New York, was making noise about saving up to get to Washington. And yeah, when it came down to it, Jack just wanted his friends to be happy, but he also knew he’d miss them when they were gone. Jack was starting to understand what Les had meant, about how tough it was to be left behind, even if you’d dreamed of leaving yourself. 

It was times like this that Jack wished he could’ve married all the people he loved and cared about, if only to keep them all together.

They were getting close to Les’s apartment now, which meant it was just about time to say goodbye.

“Hey Jack?” Les said, as he was breaking away and heading towards the door, “You don’t hafta pick me up from school every day, just ‘cause Davey asked you to, especially if he’s gone for good. I can do it myself.” 

“And what if I just like talkin’ to you?” Jack asked. “You tryin’ to keep me away?” 

Les looked almost relieved at that, and broke into a smile. “I like talking to you too. If you come tomorrow, I’ll introduce you to Martha, alright? Maybe you can bring Katherine. Martha’s spoiling to be a writer.” 

“Then I’ll just tell Katherine that, and I won’t be able to keep her away,” Jack said, giving Les a playful shove towards the door, before turning around to head back to his own home.


End file.
